Long COVID
Moderate → no benefitIll for 5 yearsNeeds ongoing treatment
Housebound with long COVID, tried LDN and diets with no improvement
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- 5 years
- Last post
- Oct 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Have long covid for 3 years since october 2020
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
i m housebound like u can move sometimes but if i do more than i should crush as usually
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
in my case time didnt help at all i even feel worse
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Have long covid for 3 years since october 2020
In context ↗
Read from 69 of their posts and comments; links to the 36 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user ill with long COVID since October 2020 and still housebound nearly five years later, unable to walk more than 500 m without crashing. They tried low-dose naltrexone for about ten months, nattokinase, nicotine, antihistamines, beta blockers, antidepressants, elimination diets and fasting; nattokinase and nicotine made them worse, LDN and diets/fasting did not help, while antihistamines were needed and a beta blocker reduced heart rate and some antidepressants helped pain. They stopped working in late 2022 and felt they were getting worse over time.
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What they tried
Also tried
antihistamines (H1)· Helpedavlocardyl· Helpedfluoxetine· Helpedsavella (milnacipran)· Helpedcodeine· Helpedvitamin b· No changemagnesium· No changeloratadine· No changefamotidine· No changeketotifen· No changesalt water and electrolytes· No changepacing· No changeextreme rest· No changelow histamine diet· No changeno gluten diet· No changeMCT (coconut oil)· No change48h water fast· No changeintermittent fasting· No changeLDN· No changecymbalta (duloxetine)· No changecreatine· No changelions mane· No changewim hoff breathing and yoga nidra· No changecold shower· No changeacupuncture· No changenattokinase· Worsevitamin d· Worseprednisone· Worsegabapentin· Worseescitalopram· Worsemestinon· Worseamantadine· Worsethe protocol you shared· WorseNicotine patches· Worselow carb diet· Much worsenad+ with b3 flush· Much worsenad+ with b3 flush· Much worselow acid diet· Not said24h dry fast· Not saidamitriptyline· Not saidanafranil· Not saidivabradine· Not saidglutathione· Not saidNR· Not saidresveratrol· Not saidaspirin· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- nattokinase · Worse
just started nattokinase i m on my 4th day and feeling worse with new symptoms
In context ↗ - vitamin d · Worse
Each time i took vitamin d it cause more pain
In context ↗ - vitamin b · No change
magnisium vitamin b … tried them without no results
In context ↗ - antihistamines (H1) · Helped
without antihistamines it s worse of course
In context ↗ - loratadine · No change
i tried famotidine and loratadine for years didnt do a thing for me
In context ↗ - ketotifen · No change
I took antihistamine h1 , h2 and ketotifen and they did nothing for me
In context ↗ - avlocardyl · Helped
only avlocardyl helped reducing my heart rate
In context ↗ - salt water and electrolytes · No change
drink+salt 2-4 water and took electrolytes no difference
In context ↗ - pacing · No change
tried pacing and nothing worked
In context ↗ - extreme rest · No change
been resting for one year and no improvement at all
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · No change
low histamine diet did nothing for me unfortunately
In context ↗ - no gluten diet · No change
tried low histamine no gluten diet for months
In context ↗ - low acid diet · Not said
Tried low acid diet when heard of high acid been maybe the problem
In context ↗ - low carb diet · Much worse
I feel much much worse in a low carb diet
In context ↗ - MCT (coconut oil) · No change
Did nothing for me took 2 tablespoons each day with no improvement at all
In context ↗ - 48h water fast · No change
even fasted 48h took vitamin d , natto … no improvement at all
In context ↗ - 24h dry fast · Not said
Tried autophagy fasting of course 48h water fast ,24h dry fast
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · No change
never stopped taking antihistamines and vitamin d and intermittent fasting and fasted 48h many times
In context ↗ - LDN · No change
started slowly 0.5 and build up to 5mg took it for the whole year didnt see 1% of improvement
In context ↗ - prednisone · Worse
I did try prednisone at high dose and make me worse
In context ↗ - gabapentin · Worse
all this gaba drugs are total shit i m tapering gabapentin will stop it soon
In context ↗ - cymbalta (duloxetine) · No change
I m taking cymbalta but didnt feel that much of difference
In context ↗ - amitriptyline · Not said
tried beta blockers, gabapentine , cymbalta , anafranil , amitriptyline
In context ↗ - escitalopram · Worse
Started escitalopram and felt worse i found fluoxetine better
In context ↗ - fluoxetine · Helped
i found fluoxetine better
In context ↗ - savella (milnacipran) · Helped
i found one that really worked savella (milnacipran) ... i stopped it and pain came back with revenge
In context ↗ - codeine · Helped
i m taking nothin right now only codeine that barely do something
In context ↗ - ivabradine · Not said
ivabradine for heart rate
In context ↗ - mestinon · Worse
just started mestinon too and feel worse did you fell worse before getting better ?
In context ↗ - amantadine · Worse
couple of months ago did try amantadine but like 4-5 days felt very tired back then and not feeling well and stopped taking it
In context ↗ - creatine · No change
I tried creatine no difference but never tried electrolytes
In context ↗ - glutathione · Not said
taking ( glutathion + NR ) for energy
In context ↗ - nad+ with b3 flush · Much worse
i try it myself back then 100mg had severe reaction with very high heart palpitations that sent to me to ER
In context ↗ - lions mane · No change
same for lions mane try it i think in 2021
In context ↗ - resveratrol · Not said
Tried all vitamins and minerals ,antioxidant (resveratrol..)
In context ↗ - aspirin · Not said
Tried nattokinase and aspirin when they said it s due to micro clots
In context ↗ - wim hoff breathing and yoga nidra · No change
tried everything from breathwork to cold shower to yoga nidra …. Nothing help
In context ↗ - cold shower · No change
tried wim hoff and cold shower unfortunately all of that didnt help
In context ↗ - acupuncture · No change
accupencture did nothing for me
In context ↗ - the protocol you shared · Worse
started the protocol you shared ... i feel more tired than usual and more pain
In context ↗ - Nicotine patches · Worse
Tried nicotine gum and had really bad results it was the opposite i ve become worse
In context ↗
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 2020 | long COVID onsetHave long covid for 3 years since october 2020In context ↗ |
| late 2022 | stopped working because of illnesswas working remotly from home and coudnt continue so stopped in late 2022In context ↗ |
| January 2024 | bedridden, could barely walklike bedridden like i m now where i cant walk more than 300-400mIn context ↗ |
| April 2025 | housebound, crashes after overdoing iti m housebound like u can move sometimes but if i do more than i should crush as usuallyIn context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Nattokinase“just started nattokinase i m on my 4th day and feeling worse with new symptoms cold body hand, feet and increased muscle weakness” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Nicotine patches“Tried nicotine gum and had really bad results it was the opposite i ve become worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin B complex“i try it myself back then 100mg had severe reaction with very high heart palpitations that sent to me to ER” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)“started 2 days ago 30mg in the morning and noticed a big pain increase like amplification of it” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Keto and low-carb diets“I feel much much worse in a low carb diet” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Corticosteroid pulses“I did try prednisone at high dose and make me worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Mestinon / pyridostigmine“Hello just started mestinon too and feel worse did you fell worse before getting better ?” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Amantadine“started amantadine two days ago for fatigue but it s the opposite i feel sleepy all day ... felt very tired back then and not feeling well and stopped taking it” Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“Started escitalopram and felt worse i found fluoxetine better” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin D and sun exposure“Each time i took vitamin d it cause more pain” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Milnacipran (Savella)“unfortunately i had side effects really annoying one ( urination problem ans burning ) i stopped it and pain came back with revenge” In context ↗ Side effects
- “Hello started the protocol you shared did you feel worse before feeling better ? Cause i feel more tired than usual and more pain” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Heart symptoms & palpitationsMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaise
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
each time i overdo my pem hits very hard and more symptoms appear
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
the pain is so hard to live with all day and increase at night especially soreness
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
neurological issues ( nerve pain , tingling , numbness all over the body )
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Have pots , neurogical issues nerve pain ext
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
palpitations (pots)
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
increased muscle weakness
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
My burning is triggered mainly from food i think a low histamine diet helped
In context ↗